Thursday, April 2

It's a Food Blogga Give-Away for a Trader Joe's Cookbook!

If you have a Trader Joe's near you, then chances are it's your favorite grocery store. That's because Trader Joe's makes shopping fun. Their stores have user friendly signs describing many of their products, offer sundry organic and ethnic foods, and have an impossibly amiable staff.

So it's no wonder that someone -- actually two hip working moms -- came up with the brilliant idea to write a cookbook focused exclusively on Trader Joe's products. Cooking with All Things Trader Joe's by Deana Gunn and Wona Miniati has all the qualities that fans of the grocery chain like: it's easy to follow, uncomplicated, and doesn't take itself too seriously.

As busy working moms, Gunn and Miniati know how hard it is to cook and eat healthfully: "If you're like us, you love to eat natural, delicious, home-cooked foods, but due to career, family, or simply a busy modern lifestyle, you can't meals from scratch every night. There's a time and place for take-out and frozen entrees, but there's never a substitute for home-cooked meals."

That's where the cookbook comes in. Gunn and Miniati offer dozens of appetizing recipes featuring Trader Joe's products such as pasta, stir fry vegetables, quinoa, organic tofu, and free range roasting chicken. Most of the recipes average 3-5 steps and come with prep and cooking times, so you can plan ahead. One potential drawback to the book is that Trader Joe's rotates its products, so you may not find every item in your local store.

With simple and straightforward recipes, this cookbook will be a saving grace for busy cooks and kitchen novices. It contains categories for "Appealing Appetizers," "Soups, Salads, and Light Meals," "Main Meals," "On the Side," "Delicious Desserts and Daring Drinks," "Begin with Breakfast," and "Bachelor Quickies," which features frozen and ready-to-eat foods.

For a bonus feature, many of the dishes come with a suggested wine pairing, which is helpful. Also each recipe is accompanied by a picture, which the authors claim are "REAL." That is, they were taken in their home kitchens, with no professional styling or lighting. Though some are better than others, overall, they're functional and work just fine.

Now here are some of my favorite recipes. For fast and fun fare, you can't beat chipotle turkey chili, south of the border pizza, and tiramimousse (nope, that's not a misspelling; it's a combination of tiramisu and mousse).

If you're looking for something more adventurous, then try one of their many ethnic recipes such as Asian dumpling soup, curried chicken pitas, and spicy Szechuan tofu.

For those times when you want an elegant meal in minutes, try the polenta with truffle mushrooms, calamari brodetto, or lobster ravioli with vodka sauce.

Now for the best part: One lucky Food Blogga reader will receive a complimentary copy ofCooking with All Things Trader Joe's. Here's what you have to do to win:

Just tell me why you'd like to win the cookbook. Please respond by the end of the day, Tuesday, April 7, 2009. That's it.

With the help of random.org, 1 winner will be randomly selected and announced in a future post, so please check back. The give-away is open to all Food Blogga readers wherever you live. The winner will need to provide her or his real name and mailing address. Don't have a blog? Just leave an active email address where you can be reached. Good luck, everybody!

114 comments:

Anonymous
said...

I love our neighborhood Trader Joe's but shop there for only the vegetarian items I have trouble finding elsewhere. I tend to cook my way, page by page, through any cookbook I purchase. What fun would it be to cook my way through this cookbook with the added bonus of trying other Trader Joe items!

A Trader Joe's cookbook! Now why didn't I think of that!!!! I have been going to Trader Joes and loving it for over 20 years now! I am all about TJs and didn't even know they had a cookbook. I would love to win of course!

The book sounds fabulous! The nearest TJ's is about an hour away, but I make regular trips to stock up on their great food. I would love to have a book that gives me new ideas about ways to use their products.

I've actually never been to trader joe's but my sister and friends rave about it! it's about 45 minutes from us, so if I win the cookbook I'll have even more incentive to go! Either that or I'll have a wonderful gift!

Unfortunately the closest TJ's are 45 minutes away form my home. SO when I go, I make it a trip and load up on the things we use. It's always interesting to see how they combine foods---the cookbook would be a treat :-)

I love cookbooks, I love Trader Joes lemon yogurt, and I only wish I lived in the same country as Trader Joes! I currently have to drive (with an ice chest ready for the return trip) from Vancouver, BC to the nearest one in Bellingham Washington which is an hour plus an international border each way, away. Even so, I would LOVE to purchase more varied and interesting items to make into recipes from the cookbook! this is especially true of any recipes that use the Lemon yogurt. Yum!

I love Trader Joe's, too! I like how they have so many organic things, and how they're usually pretty cheapo. I'd like to win because I don't live near a Trader Joe's these days, so now I just dream about shopping there. But I'm guessing I could still substitute stuff so that I could actually use the cookbook, right?! Otherwise I'll just dream until I'm around a TJs again! Thanks!

I love going to Trader Joe's. There is always something new to explore as well as many standard Trader Joe products I keep stocked in my pantry, refrigerator and freezer. The staff is always helpful and make shopping there a happy experience. Plus their newsletters are clever and make me smile!

While I have a large cookbook collection, there is always room for more cookbooks and ideas on how to use Trader Joe's products.

We've had rumors of a Trader Joe's opening in our town for a couple of years now, and it finally happened! They will be opening the first of May. I'm so excited to finally have one an it would be great to have a cookbook using their products. I could use it as a guide to help me with my first shopping trip since I will probably be overwelmed an have no clue what to buy. Great giveaway!!!

I love Trader Joes. Who knew they had a cookbook?!?! Great idea. I was at TJ's last weekend and they were giving out samples of curry chicken with Israeli couscous. I asked the woman how it was made, bought the 3 simple TJ's ingredients and made it the next day. It was delish.

I always shop TJs and find interesting things I want to use, but as I'm more of a recipe-follower-with-a-little-tweaking-here-and-there rather than a throw-stuff-together-and-see-what-works, I'd love, love, love this cookbook!

I would love to win this cookbook because shopping at the Trader Joe's in Newton, MA IS actually a really good time. And they always have interesting products that I would LIKE to use, I just don't know how. Hope I win! :o)

I would love a Trader Joe's cookbook. I have been waiting for 9 years for one to open in my town... and my patience has paid off - one is opening May 1st down the street from my house. Winning their cookbook would make my day.

Mmmmmm, I 'heart' Trader Joe's!! I am currently living in Italy. This is one of the stores that I miss the most! We will be returning to the States soon and I would love to have a new cookbook for TJs recipes!

The closest TJs to our last home was 45 minutes away... we would drive there once a week! There are some things that I just have to have... the unique beers, almond champagne, guacamole tortilla chips...etc, etc ;)

I have a confession: cooking is my least favorite of household activities. I'd rather scrub the toilet with a toothbrush. For years I have tried to embrace the act of cooking and would like nothing more than the enthusiasm of those who love it. Baking? Absolutely! But pots and pans are not my friend! I do love Trader Joe's however, so maybe a flame could be ignited. I am hopeful!!!

If that Cookbook is even half as good as the products that Trader Joe's carries, I think it would be a fantastic addition to any home chef's cookbook collection!! I would love to get my hands on it, b'coz from the way you describe it, looks like it has quite a few simple everyday recipes!:)

I havent stopped by your blog in so long. I saw your post at La Dolce Vita and stopped in to say hello. Lo and behold you are giving away a cookbook. I always think to myself when this happens, gosh does the writer of this blog think I only stop in when there is a giveaway? Ah, but I cant resist the idea of possibly winning a new cookbook, especially Traders Joes that I miss so much from AZ. I would love to have this book to dream of TJ again.

I would like to win because instead of going to the Cheers bar where "everyone knows your name", now that I have 2 children, I go to Trader Joes where they all not only know my name, but my 2 boys!! They know my 3 year old likes the blue balloons and that my younger one likes the green, but most importantly they know to tell me all the new things they have and actually all taste them and then tell me what I would love and not love. It is a crazy obsession and the cookbook would help me put all the ingredients together!!! I buy stuff I think I will use and then never do because I don't know what to make!! Maybe I need a Trader Joes therapist? aaaah!

What an awesome giveaway! I would loooove to win this book, because it would be great to just shop at Trader Joe's some weeks. When the sales are bad at other stores (and since we don't have a good produce place in town) I find myself just at Trader Joe's, but I don't have a lot of ideas for what to cook when that is the only store I am shopping at.

As a student pressed for money and time to cook proper meals for myself, I especially appreciate Trader Joe's for its healthy and inexpensive groceries! I would love the cookbook to discover new ways to enjoy my favorite grocery store.

Wow! This is my first time at your blog. What an exciting offer! Thanks for the opportunity. My cupboards, fridge, and freezer are filled with Trader Joe's products at all times. I love shopping there! Since our family is on a gluten-free (and milk and soy-free) diet, it is so great that their ingredient labels clearly state if there are any gluten-containing ingredients. They also have good manufacturing practices to avoid cross contamination. To top it off, they don't use artificial anything!

I spend way too much time cooking and not enough time with my kids. I actually have a handful of recipes I've made up entirely from TJ's products. It would be so helpful to get some new ideas for whipping up tasty meals for our family of five. I cook from scratch most of the time for cost and health, but I'm so grateful for quick, inexpensive, and healthy meals. Thanks,dianebyrd [at] cox [dot] net

I'd love to win this cookbook because I am a great fan of TJ, and I KNOW I'll be putting those recipes to good use instead of setting them aside to collect dust! I'm trying to try a new recipe every day, so I need all the inspiration I can get! And TF is just that freaking awesome!

I adore Trader Joe's. For a law student with lots of loans, I need an economical place to shop--but a place that still has great variety and healthy options. Enter TJ's. I love it! I make weekly trips there. I love just roaming up and down the aisles, checking out all of the products. The cookbook would be just one more way to appreciate all of TJ's awesome products!

Ha, I was just there last night getting some things we ran out of. I love that we are literally down the road from ours, and you can't beat their prices and great products. I was going on and on about them to the cashier.

Anyways, I'd love to know about what to make with TJs ingredients. I wander up and down the aisles looking at all the great stuff you can't find at the grocery chains!

I don't want the goddamn cookbook, i want the store. TJ's has consistently said they're not coming to Salem, OR, yet they have no idea how many of us make the trek up the highway 30 miles just to score a case of two buck chuck. i got one yesterday for $5.98. Come to Salem, we're not all high here.

We have a lot of dietary restrictions in our house (gluten-free, low-sodium, low-sugar) and it's REALLY hard to find recipes that meet all our needs. I'm always looking for new ideas and I love the idea that the store would actually have all the ingredients if we used their book!!

Trader Joe's has fun, exciting food that is different and keeps us from getting bored and into food ruts! I would love a cookbook from TJ's that will show us how to make different, more inventive meals!

I'd love to win the cookbook because Trader Joe's is basically my home away from home and I often find myself altering recipes to make them "Trader Joe friendly." I live pretty much next to a TJ's and don't know what I would do without it!!!

I love Trader Joe's!! I love to sink my teeth into cookbooks. I even read the blog all about Trader Joe's. Ever since the first TJ's in our neighborhood opened when I was a teenager, I have loved to shop there. This is often the only place I can find some French specialties, or Italian or German. I love that they like wholesome, healthy, natural or even organic ingredients. They are one of the best places in my area to find a good cheese. I want to win this cookbook. Thank you for the chance to win it!JoyJoy Of Dessertshttp://joyofdesserts.blogspot.com

My sugar and I love to make the trip to T.J.'s once a week together to stock our cupboards.Since having been laid off from my architecture job, I have been cooking a lot more and we rely on their wonderful variety of foods at reasonable prices.The one we go to is in Silverlake, CA, where it is the best place to run into our friends and people watch too!kris10erickson@hotmail.com

lucky comment #109! =)I didn't know trader joe's had come out with a cookbook, but I would love to win it. I've always grown up with a trader joe's nearby, but now live 100s of miles away from the closest one, so it's sweet nostalgia for me. (that doesn't stop me from stocking up at TJ's whenever I visit my mom or anyone else with one near them!)

Hooray! I've been meaning to pick up this cookbook since I first heard about it (have it on my little cookbook wishlist for now). They've got some interesting items in that store that I don't always know how best to use, so I'll bet this book would help.

Love your recipes and family stories. I'm struck by how similar our food history is.

I live in Rhode Island and have a fledgling food blog named "Munchsense". At this time of year all my thoughts turn to rice pies; and I chomp at the bit, waiting to gather the sumptuous ingredients and produce the final treasure. I also have this obsessive love affair with Italian cookies. I've printed out some of your recipes because they so closely resemble the ones I've always associated with Italian cookie trays.